Selling timber in Webster Parish

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I'm not trying to be greedy but at the same time I don't want to get ripped off selling the timber.

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Oh you can bet you'll get ripped off.

To get a "fair deal" you need to hire a forester, to cruise and market your timber. Your profit after his cut is about the same as you'd end up with getting ripped off if you try to do it yourself. So it's a wash.

It's kind of BS, but that's how it's set up.

My untrained advice is to ask for bids. And then walk away from them and sit on the timber until someone approaches you with a bid you like.

You need to hire a registered forester. Even after his cut, you’ll come out ahead.

My dad and his siblings ended up paying a forester 20k (7%) to "oversee" a clearcut. Came recommended from two trustworthy sources. I'm not sure he even ever went out to look at the property, just sent out letters to the area timber companies. The loggers did a ton of damage with ruts all over the place that will be in that heavy clay for the next 50-100 years. The forester's response to the rutting was "when you get such a high price for your timber you can expect some damage". Wasn't interested in coming out to the property to look for himself.

I think the problem is that the foresters have a working relationship with the timber companies and the loggers. They aren't going to rock the boat for some one-off landowner who won't log their land for another 50 years at least.

Though at the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if having a registered forester "handle" the harvest didn't add 20k in value as the timber companies see it. I'm sure they'd rather deal with a known individual than some random landowner and are willing to pay a bit more for that familiarity.

What are the denominations in aging timber?


When is a pine stand mature? How many years?

If there any benefit to letting it mature to a beyond-mature limit?

I can see where you’d want to go ahead and get paid, then start tue process over again.

But can you lease out the land to hunters and let these pines get super thick? Can you make money off the thicker trees? Does The land is going to an extra maturing stage?

I can't help other than this, on our hunting club the land owner has stopped harvesting timber because of the low prices. He said "it would be 3-5 years before it recovers to where he'll cut again".

Not my words those were his.

Hire you a reputable Forester that will get bids for you. His cost is taken off income for tax purposes. Right now is not good time to sell. Past dry weather has allowed cutters to go anywhere which fills mills up and drops prices

lease it to hunters and keep the trees.
pay the taxes with the lease proceeds

or go enjoy it yourself…

We thin our timber about every 10-15 years. Got $100,000+ on 100 acres this summer getting it thinned.

Got 250,000+ getting another 80 acres clear cut in 1998. In about another 5 years I’ll get this 80 acres thinned


My advise ask the timber company for a load out sheet each day and have game cams set up to see if the number of loads on the daily load out sheets matches the actually amount of loads going out (of course you’ll have to have them only using one drive in and out)

Also put it in the contract with the timber company that they will put the landing, all trails used by skidder, etc…. Back to precut condition or as close as possible.

This is how my family has been doing business for decades (we also have a reliable forester and family friend that used to walk off our timber and get us good bids unfortunately he died 5 years ago) but there are still good reputable foresters that will do a good job and get you good bids.

Good luck